A SILVER LINING
Monday mornings were always a drag. They signified the end of the weekend and the start of a brand new week, even worse, a new school week if you were still an attending student. That was the case for the three teenagers of the family. Lacy didn't mind much as being in school meant practicing out in the field with her team-mates or by herself or just one-on-one training with her mother. Lupa would grumble, but say nothing and carry on through the day. Lemy was the only one to bitch and moan about waking up this early and then start panicking about unfinished homework that he had been too lazy to work on.
More especially now that the winter season has begun. The weather had changed and the temperature had dropped below the fifties. Snow had started to appear, but it was still not accumulating all over the ground. Waking up to a cold reception and walking out into a freezing breeze was not his ideal morning routine.
Lucky for him he had a wonderful girlfriend by his side to always cheer him up and send him off with a positive vibe that only she could infuse unto him.
"I can't believe you didn't finish your school assignments, Lemy. I could have helped you and you know this." Both walked together down the street a distance away from the girls who were far ahead of them.
"I forgot." That was a terrible excuse, but it was not exactly a lie either as Lemy mumbled.
"I hope your grades don't affect your final semester score. '' Lyra worried for his academic future if this kept continuing.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry too much, I always manage to pull through in the end." He winked at her, which she rolled her eyes in return, but not without a smile on her face first.
School was now in full view with hordes of students entering the front entrance, reading for a new day of learning and socializing. Lupa and Lacy waved them goodbye as they disappeared into the building. Before leaving, Lyra gave him a peck on the cheek to which Lemy chose to kiss her directly in the mouth much to her surprise.
"Lem, there's people around." Lyra felt embarrassed as well worried.
"Sorry. Just...needed to." Lemy said.
"We can do that and much more later tonight." Lyra whispered into his ear, enticing a surge of excitement into the young man's body and mind.
Saying their goodbyes, Lemy departed for school as Lyra looked on from across the street. Now she turned back around and trekked back to her home with nothing but happy thoughts. Life was perfect as it is and she wouldn't trade it for the world.
Five weeks had gone by since their first night of intimacy and ever since then everything had been going great for the two of them. There were no more secrets between them and their relationship was strong, united and greatly wonderful. They still had yet to tell their parents and the rest of the family about their romance, but in due time it would have to become atopic of discussion. Both had no idea how that conversion would go down, but as long as they had each other nothing could break them apart. Luna was being very coy around them, so the suspicions that she may have an idea about them was already a possibility, but if she had not outright said anything in the form of condemnation then maybe it might actually work out in the end. After all their parents are brother and sister too, they had their fun and it worked out well, it's Lemy and Lyra's turn now to have the same dynamic too.
Another thing that has brought a tremendous weight off their shoulders or specifically off of Lyra's was the burden of fear and paranoia she had been suffering from from her ex-boyfriend or to put in better terms her sack of dog-shit rapist as Lupa gladly refers to him as. Caleb did bail, but thanks to Lori's connections in Manhattan, she got a close friend to pull some strings through a law firm regarding Lyra's predicament. While the court lacked the evidence that Lyra had been subject to sexual assault by the man, they did agree that there where obvious signs of domestic abuse. Lyra's revelation of her miscarriage by his hands broke the camel's back. Apparently even he didn't know about it, but his pity talk did not impress the judge and he was ordered to pay the family twenty-thousand dollars in emotional and psychological damage for his treatment of Lyra.
Another great win was the restraining order placed on him. No more than three-hundred feet from Lyra or else risk arrest and a full year of prison without parole. Also adding the fact that Caleb was now sentenced to five years of probation and forbidden to leave the state of California or risk additional jail-time as well. Lincoln and Luna would have rather seen him rot in a prison cell for life, but a win was a win. They could now move on from that dark chapter of their lives. Lyra could look forward into the bright horizon and see all the new and beautiful possibilities that had been stolen from her back ago.
Back Home…
Luna was packing up her stuff. Her extended stay-home vacation had come to an end and it was time to start touring again. Her new album was set to hit stores next year's summer and the studio manager had already arranged a press tour for the entirety of the beginning of the new year. She couldn't protest, it was written down in the contract. Then again seeing how the situation at home had drastically improved she felt sure of herself to leave her daughter behind, again Lyra was surrounded by friends and family, there is nothing to fear anymore.
"You sure you can't extend until New Years?" Lincoln asked.
Both were in their room as Luna packed her things on the briefcases she had arrived with. Most had hoped she would stick around much longer, so did she, but she had a career to uphold.
"I know, I know, but...Lyra is okay now. I would love to spend Christmas and the New Year with you guys, but this has always been the plan." Lyra regrettably told him, "What happened had made me leave much harder, Linc, you don't think I know that? But I look at Lyra and I see her smiling, I see her laughing, I see our daughter illuminated by a light that had been burned out a longtime ago. She has you, she has Lemy, she has the entire family here for her."
"You're right. You are right." Lincoln conceded.
"Lyra has already prevailed against the darkness that corrupted her soul. She has won this accursed war." Lucy popped out of nowhere, spooking the other two.
"Fucking shit, Lu! How the hell are you still good at this!" Luna demanded.
"I'm a grandmaster." The gothic woman slyly replied.
Downstairs Lyra had arrived home, but she now looked worse for wear. Slightly stumbling into the living she fell down on the couch and sank deep down. An awful taste had appeared out of nowhere in her mouth and she resisted the urge to gag or wretch or else cause the horrid acid to climb up the throat and exit out of her mouth and into the carpet below. On the way back she started to feel strange and by the time she got home she was as she was; dizzy and nauseous.
Fighting back the symptoms she went over to the kitchen to grab a glass of orange juice to freshen up the bitter taste in her mouth. Hopefully she feels much better for the rest of the day and gets to be productive around the house.
Getting her drink in hand she gulped the glass down. It only took a few seconds for Lyra to turn around and latch on to the sink and puke her stomach out and down the drain. What a bile taste it was, rancid and slimy.
"God, that's so gross." She detested as she opened the faucet water and washed her mouth.
"Lyra, are you okay?"
She froze at her voice and slowly turned her head around to face Luna. Her mother had a concerned look on her face and rightfully so, Lyra cleared her throat, shaking away all other thoughts and focused on the older woman before her. Luna had reached the bottom stairs when she heard someone puking their guys out in the kitchen. Seeing her daughter retching in the sink was not an average sight, questions needed to be asked.
"I'm fine. Just something weird is all." Luna raised an eyebrow at that.
"Weird? What exactly did you have for breakfast?" Lyra paused for a second, remembering that she had not eaten anything yet.
"Toast and butter...and a glass of milk!" Lyra replied rather quickly.
Luna said nothing back to her. Approaching her, she placed her hand on Lyra's forehead checking for a fever of sorts. Luna's eyes are focused on her hand before directly staring at her daughter's. There was something strange about the way she was looking at her and she was also feeling uncomfortable at the proximity of them both.
"You should take a rest. Winter does bring out the worst in our bodies." Luna simply said and walked away.
Lyra looked on, unsure what to do next after that conversation. Maybe she should take a nap. It was still too early and the morning breeze may have affected her a bit more than she would admit. Taking a seat on the kitchen table she contemplated on her life so far. She loved it. The new year was approaching and that meant new opportunities, new challenges and a new prosperous life alongside her family and love of her life.
Later At School…
The final bell of the day had rung and it was time to head back home. Slinging his backpack over the shoulder Lemy headed out the corridor and into the sea of students that were all marching out towards the front entrance. Another long day of studies for various school subjects that barely peaked his interest or personal ambitions. And more homework to top it off, it wasn't hard, but it was much easier to pretend that it didn't exist. Regardless of it all, now he got to go back home and spend more time with Lyra. That is all that he always looked forward to everyday.
Outside the cold air hit his face and entered his lungs. Winter was always fun. The landscape would drastically change as the snow came falling in numbers as the days passed. He bets that Lyra missed the winter season up north, when was the last time it actually snowed in Los Angeles?
"Daydreaming again moron?" Lupa smacked him from behind, regaining his attention to his surroundings.
"So?" He countered.
"Just checking if your brain didn't fry up. School does that to you." She said.
"I'm fine. Just thinking is all." He said back.
Both siblings walked home together. Lacy had stayed behind to attend an after school meeting with the rest of the soccer team that Lynn was overseeing. Along the way both discussed various topics, some interesting others just pointless banter, but all in all, it was better than utter silence. As Lemy talked about Christmas and how he had to get Lyra the perfect gift for her, Lupa got quiet and looked straight ahead. She was listening, but she suddenly felt a lack of strength within her the more he talked about Lyra to her.
It had been a couple of weeks since she began to feel this way and perhaps she understood why, but it still didn't make her feel any better about it and hearing him idolize their older sister with absolute love and care everyday was not helping at all. Lemy didn't seem to notice her change in demeanor as he was still lost in his own thoughts and one-sided conversation, it really irked her, or in better terms it hurt her quite much.
"Will Lacy and I get anything special too?" Lupa finally spoke up, ceasing his talk and getting his full attention, "Or is Lyra the only one special in your heart now?"
"...What?" He asked confused, once again always failing to read the situation in hand.
"Never-fucking-mind." She angrily retorted and stomped ahead, leaving him behind.
He paced up behind her, "Lupa hold up. What's the matter?"
"Nothing Lem, I'm just tired of school is all and your motor-mouth is giving me a damn headache okay." She responded back, not slowing down.
"That's not it, it's about Lyra isn't it? Listen, I'm sorry if I've been a bit too focused on her. I'll hang out with you guys this weekend. How about that? She'll understand and encourage it." He made a case for himself, not wanting any trouble between them.
"Whatever." Lupa sighed. She sounded defeated and said nothing afterwards. Both walked back home in awkward silence, an undesired wall of tension in-between the two.
That Evening…
Luna told the family that tomorrow morning she would take the next flight to Atlanta from the Detroit airport. As much as everybody protested about her leaving so soon, she had an album to sell and hopefully become gold certified like the previous one before. Lyra felt unsure to see her leave, but Luna consoled her, letting her know that the past was over and she had them all here forever.
"I'm sorry if I have to leave already. I will call you everyday as much as I can, okay. I won't leave you alone." Luna spoke to her daughter. Both alone on the front porch together.
"Sure. Sure. I'll be fine." Lyra understood. Leaning against the wooden railing.
"You got your brother. He's been so caring towards you as of lately. I'm happy for the two of you." Luna nudged her.
Lyra could have interpreted that statement as a double meaning, but at the moment she was not fully in her right mindset as something else was bothering her, "I love that little rockstar. He means the world to me."
"About that…'' Luna curiously looked at her, "How are you feeling right now? You aren't sick anymore right?"
"Huh?...W-what?" Lyra snapped her thoughts and faced her.
"Lyra...Have you been feeling sick for a while now or is it just today." Luna was now staring directly at her, directly at her very soul. Both hands grabbed her by the shoulders as her eyes scanned any reaction from her oldest child's face.
"I-I-I...it's just...the cold weather. I've been living in south California for four years, remember? My body needs to get used to the north again is all!" Lyra immediately responded back, but she was not convincing anybody.
"Lyra, you said it was a bad breakfast in the morning. Now it's the cold?" Luna sternly said.
"It's nothing serious! What's with this sudden attitude?" Lyra pushed her mother's hands away from her. Not liking where this conversation was going at all.
Luna didn't want to do this, not now at least, but she was leaving tomorrow for a lengthy tour and wouldn't be coming back until mid-spring at best. She had to be straight with her and ask these uncomfortable questions that have been festering in her head since that day. She had yet to reveal her suspicions to the others for she needed to verify them herself first. Now alone with her was her only chance, she just hoped it wouldn't backfire now.
"I have...seen the way the two of you look at each other. The amount of times together you two spend together. How often Lemy talks about you, the way he talks about you and the same for yourself." As Luna laid down the facts, Lyra for her part was beginning to slightly panic. She wasn't ready for this talk, not remotely close. It was bound to happen, but fuck she was still not fully prepared to have it regardless. Guess Luna beat her to the discussion and now there was no way out of it, but to confront it head on.
"That's ju-just normal!" Lyra said back, not convincing her mother at all.
"Songbird, in this particular family of ours that is normal because your father and aunts and I made it normal, remember?" Luna wasn't mad at her, she just wanted the honest truth.
"I...It's…" Lyra was at a loss for words and she was mentally cursing herself for not having a speech ready about how beautiful and genuine their love was and about how nothing could ever tear them apart and such and such, but at the moment she was a blank whiteboard.
"Did you and Lemy have sex?" Luna finally said in such a calm and collected demeanor.
Lyra's heart stopped for a split second before it exploded out a massive surge of electricity across her stiffened body. Her eyes turned bright blue, almost glowing in the dark as her entire body went extremely pale as the blood rushed away from her head. Guess the cat was officially out of the bag.
"Oh Lyra." Luna had her confirmation and engulfed her in a deep hug, "I knew this would happen, I just knew it. It's the same as your father and I all those many years ago."
Lyra was surprised at their lack of anger from her voice, "You're not mad at us?"
"I would be a fucking hypocrite if I was. I just wish you could have been more forward with us. I can understand your father being aghast at the idea of his own children following in his footsteps, but to me love should never be regulated. You are allowed to love anybody you want. Even if he's your own flesh and blood. Same as how Lynn, Lucy and I fell in love with our own brother." Luna held her daughter close in a loving embrace, to say she was joyful was an understatement.
Lyra was very surprised. Guess her carefree, free-spirited mother would be the least likely to be against it. Of course she would be all for it, sometimes she felt stupid as these certain realizations hit her like a bag of bricks. At least she had yet to ask her the dreaded follow up questions to that question.
"I'll talk to Lemy about it later. Then we can all sit together with your father and make him understand that you two are meant to be. After all the suffering from both of you, Lemy and you definitely deserve each other." Luna smiled at her.
"Oh mom, thank you so much." Lyra hugged her again, happiness overwhelming her.
Mother and daughter held on to each other for the longest time. Luna's smile was still there, but it quickly became a sad frown to which Lyra cocked her head in confusion. Looking back up at her Luna gave her a weak smile and placed her hand on Lyra's stomach gently feeling her her warm skin against her own much to the younger girl's surprise.
"How far along are you?"
Lyra was once again at a loss for words. How had she managed to turn her world upside down in a matter of minutes and back to back? All her issues coming at once in a single night. Not saying nothing back Lyra moved back and covered her abdomen with both hands. Giving out a deep sight of resignation she decided to just tell it all and be over with it. No more secrets between them both.
"I missed my period four weeks ago. I haven't told him. I honestly don't know how to tell him." Lyra confessed.
Luna covered her forehead with one hand as the other covered her mouth. She was clearly okay with her children dating each other and committing acts of sexual needs, but maybe being a young grandmother was not something she was truly ready for. Lyra didn't say anything and waited for her mother to speak again and say her piece of mind.
"It's okay. It's okay. I'm just...wow, this is unexpected." It was Luna's turn to be at a loss for words.
"He's too young. I don't want him to quit school for me. He still has two more years left to complete, I want him to graduate." Lyra spoke up, Lemy's education having always been her main focal point for him.
"He will learn about it regardless and so will everybody else." Luna explained.
"I will not get an abortion!" Lyra hissed at her.
"What?" Luna was caught off guard by that sudden statement. Lyra was venomously staring at her, in a defiant and defensive stance. Her eyes had suddenly turned wild as those words had exited her mouth.
"I already lost one, I'm not losing this one too!" Lyra growled back shielding her unborn child with both arms from her dumbfounded mother.
Luna was shocked at what she was hearing. Why would she say such a thing to her? But of course, she was quickly reminded of the painful trauma her daughter had suffered under that monster's hands, "Oh Lyra, no! No, no, no, no I would never! I would never force you to do that! Not me, not your father! Nobody!"
Luna hugged her again, fighting against Lyra's attempts to break free as she relieved horrible memories of the past at that very moment. Not thinking straight and body betraying her as she fought against her mother's tight embrace. Eventually Lyra calmed down, breathing heavily as Luna cusped her face with both hands. Her mind came back and she was once again aware of her surroundings.
"I don't want to lose my baby. Not again." Lyra sorrowfully said.
"You won't. That's my grandchild, that's Lemy's child too." Luna began to cry as did Lyra too.
Both stayed quiet and simply looked up at the sky and admired the stars high above them. This was a brand new future for them all and despite the tribulations of the past this was the gift for a better tomorrow. Around the corner from where Luna and Lyra were standing on the porch together, hiding in the shadows and leaning against the wooden walls of the house stood Lupa with a shock expression at everything she had just heard. She had gone out for a quick smoke to ease her troubled mind, but the revelation she just learned was a whole new problem that would be plaguing her as well.
She didn't know what to think anymore. Had no idea how to accept this new reality anymore. Why was this happening to her all at once? Was this a sign? Was this fate mocking her un-changeable future? Maybe those two were really meant to be. Maybe she should just give up and allow their love to flourish without any more interference.